Why do religious people think being Atheist is the "easy way out"?

Question

I keep seeing this remark across R&S and frankly I don't see how it makes any sense. Religious people believe that if they follow the rules, they will get the reward. I follow plenty of rules, too. Religion isn't the only thing that gives a person a moral compass (I know plenty of very good secular people, so please don't start complaining about hedonism), but I have no assurance of reward beyond this life. I do it because I choose it, because being moral feels right to me. The "easy way out?" I would be so relieved to see some evidence of a caring, benevolent being at work in the world--I see none. I imagine that religious people get a lot of comfort from their faith. So...why exactly am I lazy to live in this uncertainty, when no other way of living seems reasonable or even possible?

Answer 1

I am a Christian, not a good one or the best ever but one the same. I am not the best example of Christianity and would never ask someone to follow me. If you believe what you believe or choose not to its up to you. Nothing is easy. And people should not judge others because no-one is perfect.

Answer 2

Because the Bible requires many responsibilities from it's followers. Think about it, tithe, pray, give your life to the "great commission" (which is essentially love God, love others and make disciples). And quite frankly, as a Christian, I don't believe that if I "follow the rules" I'll get a reward. Completely wrong impression. No act of mine could possibly earn my way into heaven or salvation of any kind. It is only by the blood of Jesus that I will go to heaven. I think if you went to church you would understand what I mean. The Bible is truth, science proves it. I think that you have found it self-evident within yourself that there is a God. How can information come out of nowhere? The "big bang" doesn't make any sense because where did all that matter come from so that it could collide together. You should at least agree secretly that there is some higher being. I think you should reconsider any sort of previous prejudices toward church and God in general and take time to examine your faith and purpose in life. I urge you to go to church and learn what Christianity is all about, yes we're "good" people but that's not what life is about. I personally prefer Protestant (more specifically Baptist) over Catholic by the way. Hope this helps.

Answer 3

Things were much easier for me when I was an atheist. Now, even though I try to be a good person (not because I have to, only Jesus saves me) I cannot always be that person. Before it was funny to those around me, part of my character. But now I have to hear the judgment of non-believers wondering if that's what Jesus would do or some other one-liner.



We never said were perfect, why must every flaw be pointed out and likened to proof that Christianity is bad.



And since you quoted me, I'll say again faith asks a lot. It does. You don't have to think it but since I have experience in both Theism and Atheism I KNOW it. (And contextually you are incorrect it was not in contrast to non-faith.)

Grace and Peace.

Answer 4

That's your problem reasonable as you put it is completely objective and depends on whom you ask. I don't think either way is really an easy way out, but rather just helps us to understand or make sense of the world around us. To be honest I do believe in a creator of some sort although I find organized religion in general to be a sham. There are just too many simple yet complex (oxymoron but functions perfectly) things in our world let alone the universe. To many things some of which our science and technology has just started diving into, i.e. DNA, the mapping of our genome, what gene does what, etc. The complexity leads me to believe that Big Bang a mere matter of chance and that would be highly improbable. There is no doubt in my mind that evolution has/does occur, its obvious in the world around us. However how is the true question that no one has the answer to.



Lastly Captain Douchebag, err Atheist. You claim they are facts you are dead wrong, neither side has facts. You can have evidence that supports your argument but trust you me they are not facts. Secondly generalizing and calling all religious people a cult is a stretch. After all generally a cult is a small group brought together by a common, usually a new religious movement. However based on the fact that you mentioned 85% of people revile you. Who's really in the cult?

Answer 5

It’s not that it’s an easy way out. I personally feel that it’s no different than any other religion. Atheism has structure; there is reason and study involved in being an Atheist like any religion.



I consider Atheism as valid like any religion because it is a belief system, like any religion.



I think many perceive it as an easy way out because it’s easier to say there isn’t a God than there is. Because it really is easier to need to see before you can believe. It’s easier when you have proof of something because it’s there, its definitive.



When you have to choose to believe something is real without seeing or knowing, it takes a commitment and battling self doubt. There is much internal conflict to believe in something you cant see or know exists.



I know many Atheists I have debated on this subject will say just the opposite, but really we as Humans are seekers of truth, therefore having evidence or proof makes it easier to believe.

If God came down right now and everyone saw, most would believe. That’s easy…



Being an Atheist is not easy but it’s easier to not believe in a god because of lack of proof than it is to believe in something we cannot know for sure exists or see. Because it goes against human nature, just like God works. =)



Hope that eases a little confusion.

Answer 6

It is NOT the easy way out. It is much easier to be a sheep and not question anything. It is much more difficult to think for yourself and to have the majority of people think that you are untrustworthy because you don't believe that a magical ghost is going to help your team win the basketball game.



I agree that Atheist would have the moral high ground because they are good people because they are good people not because some "Being" is sitting high in the sky watching them and waiting for them to mess up so he can smite them!



Also I am so sick and tired of religious people saying they are "sorry for my soul". STOP IT!!!! I am sorry for your life now. You are wasting it following stupid rules and feeling guilty all the time.

Answer 7

It's also not easy being reviled by 85% of the population.



I didn't choose to be an atheist. The facts are just the facts. There are those that know the facts, and those that don't. And I'm not going to pretend I don't know the truth that god doesn't exist.



Even though that often makes me an outcast, I'm not going to hide it. My sense of morality will not allow me to. I know that this country is being poisoned by a cult that needs to be stopped. And for those few of us that can see the truth... it is our RESPONSIBILITY to let others know it. To do otherwise would be inhuman.



Edit - Jay K, is there some reason you feel the need to call people names? Your Christian love is just dripping out of your ***, isn't it? Your god has been disproven, and I'm sorry that you don't know that. If you need to know how, then you can email me, but I'm not going to tit for tat with you on Yahoo Answers. This is not my question.

Answer 8

First I will say that there is no standard of morality for non-theists. What is wrong today could be right tomorrow, and vice-versa.



Secondly, I'm guessing it's because once a person rejects God, they can then behave however they want. It is the easy way out because the non-theist does not have to resist any of their natural desires. (Except for the ones that would put them in jail, of course).



I've been praying all day long today that God would help me to keep my thoughts pure. I'm guessing that this is far more difficult than the life that any non-theist has lived today.



Anyway, that's my opinion. :O)

Answer 9

Not only are you driven by sheer will alone as opposed to some great judgement post-life, but you're also part of a nonreligious minority in a predominantly christian society. One where your basic human rights and privileges are sometimes at risk due to religious morality, and where those who fight for your human rights are accused of persecution by challenging that religious morality.



Also, the agnostics are accused of being far lazier than the atheists. :-)

Answer 10

that's the one of the problems with HOW religious people think...

the easy way out is the religious way !



It takes Spiritual intelligence and guts to Create Your Relationship and here's how:



Create a Private, Personal, Direct, Divine Relationship with Our Creator and save Your Soul from religion's and atheist's beliefs and start Your journey back home, to Heaven.



<<<<<<< UnConditional Love is the only answer >>>>>>>



Love and Believe in Our Creator;

Love and Believe in Yourself.



"religion is Spiritual fraud";

"religion is the Worse invention of humanity";

"Universal Truth has eliminated religion from Spirituality",

quotes of Jesus Christ, Buddha and any one else with Spiritual intelligence.



"When a person is freed of religion, they have a better chance to live a normal and wholesome life." S. Freud



Here are some of my quotes:



Only with Our Creator's Love and Peace will we be Truly Free!

Without God, there is No Love; Without religion, there are No Wars!

Freedom of religion is Freedom from religion.



atheists = all the people in religion = all the ignorant fundamentalists = all the cults/superstitions = paganism = wicca = xians = homosexuals/lesbians = skinheads = politicians = lawyers.

Answer 11

Christians who self-rent their comments as proper "audio equipment" for absolutely everyone they *think of* they might examine the minds of, consistent with their constrained and skewed expertise of those human beings. in many circumstances, they're suggested interior the "techniques" of those others via the two ignorant human beings referred to as "clergy". Edit @ McKenzie - Please examine those solutions from Christains: Atheists are idiots.they do no longer decide to settle for the fact. Atheists sense threatened via any point out of religion, fairly Christianity it fairly is via fact atheists are idiotic and don't understand the fact. Atheism is a style of paganism. Atheists worship intercourse and death. They [atheists] are losers who dont have a existence. Who cares, why even supply them [atheists] the time of day. It could suck being a atheists i won't be able to think of being some immature bully who wastes maximum of my existence being a depressing condescending snobbish comprehend all of it. Atheists think of they understand each little thing via fact a team of alernative theories have been taught to them it fairly is a robust ingredient that their interior the minority. they're aurgumentative savages and that i desire there became a such ingredient as a hell so they might burn there for eternity. Athiest have confidence in no longer something. no longer something is there god so via that reason they desire objective in existence. You atheists are the rudest maximum vicious maximum adverse savages ordinary to guy the great bang concept/ evolution concept etc. is previous stupid atheist are entire morons it fairly is extra probably that there is a God than the theory that we developed from some monkey. pass forward have confidence some scientist whose human purely such as you and particularly does not understand what the hell take place via fact he wasn't there retards. You adult males are entire pretentious snobs. via fact they sense the could shove their non-concept down the throats of believers. The humorous section is that interior the comparable breath they whine and cry approximately faith being shoved down their throats.

Answer 12

Religious people are well justified to see agnostics and atheists as taking the 'easy way out' for a number of reasons.



--It takes a great deal of attention and mental energy to give life to an imaginary being, and in the case of Catholics and Hindus, a whole panoply of gods and saints.



--It is difficult to justify any religion, its dogma, canon, tenets, etc., in the face of solid evidence that refutes all of it.



--It takes a great deal of energy and mental gymnastics to attempt to 'believe' in unseen and unprovable ancient mysteries while also living in a fast-paced, technologically-driven culture.



--Justifying the obvious chicanery of the TV ministries and the pedophilia and predatory sexual activities of the so-called celibate clergy takes tremendous amounts of denial of strong evidence of serious moral decay.



You betcha that people who have stopped creating excuses for the tooth fairy, Santa and Jesus are exceedingly lazy when it comes to living in a fantasy world.

Answer 13

because christians spend all their time and energy believing in something they cant see, hear, feel, or prove. atheist know this is absurd and dont have faith in anything that cant be acknowdledge by reason. so they see that as an easy way it. it is hard to focus your whole life on something that might not even be real.

Answer 14

I think they see it as an easy way out intellectually because, well, it's kind of like how 1+1=2 is the "easy way out" arithmetically.



But culturally, you're right, atheists in much of the US risk losing their jobs, their friends, and their families. A US president said they "shouldn't be considered citizens" and a Univ of MN poll found them the least trusted minority in America.



I think it's the easy way out in the same sense that saying, "the emperor has no clothes" is the easy way out.

Answer 15

Because they don't realize it takes less strength to become a sheep, follow the crowd and rely on a psychological crutch and the belief in an after life than to think for yourself and ask questions.

Answer 16

Have you been to church latley may i recommend trying different churchs. Its america the right to beleive in anything. What ever flots your boat. However I feal as if your state Why do religious people think being Atheist is the "easy way out"?Is kinda a lam childish question.

Answer 17

Putting effort and thought into your moral, spiritual and ethical self and figureing out what YOU really believe is challenging, and rewarding. Doesn't really matter if you are Christian or atheist.



yours truly,

agnostic (the ones who work the hardest to figure it all out)

Answer 18

actually... being religious is the easy way...



If there isn't an afterlife... then what you believe doesn't matter.



If there is an afterlife, there may be a God.



If there is a God there may be a heaven and a Hell.



If there is a hell... you won't want to go there.

Answer 19

I've never heard that atheism is the easy way out. It's much harder I would think to go it alone without God.

Answer 20

By definition If you select to follow no one then you are only subject to your desires and wants. to fulfill your basic needs and lead you to your destiny As defined by you

Answer 21

Wow who said that? I think it's the hard way to go out!

Answer 22

Why do you think religion is the right way in?

Answer 23

They've never been atheists.



I'm religious, I don't see atheism that way. Stop putting religious people in boxes.

Answer 24

I consider myself busier, since I have no "afterlife" to look forward to

Answer 25

Reminds me of that one time I froze myself for a Nintendo Wii...

Answer 26

They believe it is harder to abstain from the pleasures of the flesh than to live by their fear-driven, repressive, so-called moral code.

Answer 27

Agreed. Too bad they'll never get it.

Answer 28

so disbelieving in God is hard to do? just wanted to make sure I was correct....

Answer 29

christians are a confusing bunch

Answer 30

because you don't have to believe in anything, and you think you are not accountable for your soul, sorry for you.

Answer 31

is the reason you don't believe is because you feel resentment towards God?

Answer 32

it takes willingness and effort to repent but please be careful about what im thinking....youve never been between my ears...